Bruins hold off East Bladen in opening round

Seniors Malik Jones (78, rear), Tacoby Coleman (52, kneeling) and Willie Bridgers (54) and head coach James Ward celebrate a first-round playoff win at East Bladen on Friday night. The Bruins reached the nine-win plateau for the first time since 2005.

Alan Wooten | Bladen Journal

Posted
Saturday, November 17, 2018 1:00 am

From staff reports

ELIZABETHTOWN — Beddingfield stuffed East Bladen on a two-point conversion in the second half to hold onto a 14-12 lead in their North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2-A football first-round playoff game Friday night.

That proved to be the difference for the Bruins, who held on in a scoreless second half, to get their first postseason road win since 2004. Beddingfield, the 2-A East No. 9 seed, will take a 9-2 record into its game at No. 1 Northeastern (11-0).

The Eagles, the No. 8 seed and the runner-up in the 1-A/2-A Three Rivers Conference, exited 9-3.

The Bruins, No. 2 from the Eastern Plains Conference, took a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game on Raekwon Batts’ 9-yard run. The extra-point kick attempt failed.

The Eagles tied the score on Kasey Price’s 8-yard touchdown run with 2:45 to play in the first quarter but the Bruins went back in front on quarterback Zion Hinnant’s 2-yard TD dive with 3:45 remaining before halftime.

Hinnant then found Devon Roesch for the two-point pass. The Bruins gave up a 14-yard TD pass with 1:12 to play in the second but denied East Bladen the conversion points.

Beddingfield rushed for 224 yards while holding the Eagles to 143 yards on the ground.